Method of making an auxiliary front for a radiator unit



Feb. 28, 1933. V F. B. HERZ 1,899,617

METHOD OF MAKING AN AUXILIARY FRONT FOR A RADIATOR UNIT Filed March 13, 1950 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR. Era/inane! 73. Her?! BYWW A TTORNEY.

Feb. 28, 1933. HERZ 1,899,617

METHOD OF MAKING AN AUXILIARY FRONT FOR A RADIA'IOR UNIT Filed March 13, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. F rdz'nand 75. //erZ ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 28, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FERDINAND B. HERZ, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 LONG MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN METHOD OF MAKING AN AUXILIARY FRONT FOR A RADIATOR UNIT Application filed March 13, 1930. Serial No. 435,588.

This invention relates generally to auxiliary fronts for radiators and has as one of its objects to provide an improved method of manufacturing auxiliary fronts of this type. The foregoing as well as other objects will .be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a radiator shell showing an auxiliary front constructed in accordance with. this invention assembled therewith.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the auxiliary front.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational View of the auxiliary front. Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view showing one step in the method of manufacture.

a Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 show ing another step in the method of manufacture.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 showing the parts in a different position. Referring now to the drawings it will be noted that there isillustrated in ig'ure 1 an auxiliary front 10 adapted to be positioned within a radiator shell 11 in advance of the radiator core 12 and supported from the latter in any suitable manner. The auxiliary front 10 comprises a body portion 13 formed of a plurality of ribs 14 extending longitudinally of the radiator shell across the entire opening in the latter and are laterally spaced from each other. Suitable openings 15 are formed in the body portion 10 intermediate the ribs 14 to permit the passage of air through the body portion and the ribs 14 are of substantially small cross-sectional area so as to providea minimum obstruction for the passage of air. As shown in-Figure 3, the ribs are formed substantially Hat with the side walls 16 thereof extending transversely of the body portion andsimulating in appearance a shutter unit when fully opened.

The ribs 14 are connected together 'at the upper and lower ends thereof and intermedi- 0 ate the said ends by means of web portions 17 formed integral with the side walls 16 of the ribs. The upper and lower web portions 18 and 19, respectively, preferably extend within the opening in the shell a suificient distance to conceal the upper and lower headers of the radiator core while the intermediate webs 17 merely function as spacers for the ribs. If desired, as shown in Figure 1, the side ribs of the body portion may be connected by suitable Web portions 20 also formed integral with the ribs and extending substantially the full length thereof. This construction is particularly desirable when the auxiliary front is used in connection with a radiator. unit wherein the side walls of the shell taper upwardly, as shown in F ig'ure 1, to conceal the space between the sides of the core and shell. The body portion, as described above, is quite flexible and is capable of being readily bent to conform to-the shape of the shell with which it is adapted to be used. For maintaining the body portion 10 tothe desired contour, suitable supporting members 21 and 22 are secured respectivel to the upper and lower portions of the ribs 1 The supporting members 21 and 22 extend transversely across the body portion and thefront surfaces thereof conform to the desired shape and are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the upper and lower Web portions 18 and 19 so as to be concealed by the latter. If desired, suitable spring fingers 23 may be formed on the supporting members 21 and 22 for engaging the radiator core to support the auxiliary front. in engagement with the shell. It will be understood that if the supporting members are secured to the body portion, the latter becomes a rigid unit and functions to support the radiator shell and protect the core. The lower portion of the auxiliary unit is provided with a suitable opening 24 for receiving the conventional engine crank.

Referring now to the method of manufacturing the auxiliary front, it is to be noted that the body portion 10 thereof is formed of a single piece of sheet metal having portions bent outwardly and fashioned to form the ribs 14 and having other portions intermediate the ribs blanked out to form the openings 15. While various types of appa- -ratus may be utilized for accomplishing the suitable plunger 27 reciprocably mounted in any suitable manner above the die 25. Slidab y mounted adjacent the die 25 is a plate 28 having a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves 29 therein spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the distance between the ribs 14 and having a depth substantially equal to the width of the ribs. As shown in Figure 5, a sheet metal blank having a dimension suflicient to form the desired auxiliary front is placed upon the die 25 over the groove 26 and the plunger 27 is lowered into the groove 26 to form a substantially V-shaped projection 30 in the blank. After this is accomplished, the blank is moved to the position illustrated in Figure 6 and the plate 28 is caused to move toward the die 25 to bring the legs of the V 30 into proximity to each other and in parallel relation to form the side walls 16 of the rib. When this latter operation is completed,., the plunger 27 is again lowered to the posil the webs connecting the ribs 14 are blanked out by suitable mechanism (not shown) to form the openings 15 and the stiffening webs 17, 18 and 19 integral with the ribs. The blank forming the body portion is then trimmed or cut to the desired shape which corresponds to the shape of the radiator shell with which it is designed to be used and the opening 24 forreceiving the engine crank is cut or otherwiseformed in the blank.

Upon completion of the above operations,

- and 19 of the body portion 10 to form a rigid construction. The reinforcing cross members 21 and 22 are. preferably formed with a series of openings31 therein to reduce the weight ofthe construction.

T us, from the foregoing it will be observed that I have provided an auxiliary front which is exceedingly simple in construction and one which enhances'the' general appearance of the radiator unit and of the yehicle since the same may be decorated to harmonize with the finish of the vehicle body. It will further be observed that I have provided a method for making the aux iliary front which permits expediently and economically manufacturing the same.

W'hat I claim as my invention is:

The method of making an auxiliary front adapted for positioning between the rear faces of the front panels of a motor vehicle radiator shell and the radiator core within the shell which consists in folding a flat sheet metal blank to form a plurality of spaced ribs therein,-removing portions of the blank intermediate the ribs to form openings in the blank, cutting the blank to the contour of the radiator shell, prefashioning a reinforcing member to the shape of the front panels of the-radiator shell, shaping the blank so that the surface thereof conforms to the shape of the reinforcing member, and fixing the reinforcing member to the rear face of the blank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. FERDINAND B. HERZ. 

